Too high to reach

Chapter 226 Step by step
Consort Feng's little scheme failed to materialize.

Moreover, she knew that after the prince left her, he did not return to the front study, but went back to the main courtyard.

He sighed: "The prince has been back for a year, spending all his time in the front study and sleeping there at night."

Now that they're married, they often go back to the backyard... the two of them are really inseparable.

Feeling unwell, feeling physically unwell, I lie there silently, fuming.

The first-class maids in the main courtyard—Hongyan and the others—are all Zhao Mama's people. She won't contact them. As for the second-class maids, two were promoted from within the household, but she hasn't taken the initiative to curry favor with them either.

Granny Zhao is very skilled in this regard.

If I do anything underhanded, she'll definitely know!
The woman has just entered the manor, and there's nothing I can do right now, so I have to be careful and cautious in my actions, and not rush anything.

But she still managed to keep the third-class cleaning maid in the main courtyard and the old woman in charge of carrying and boiling water in a roundabout way.

So, in the evening, Madam Song received the news: "Oh, Your Highness, you have no idea: after the Prince returned home, he and the Princess stayed in their bedroom and sent all the maids away. Later... they even asked for hot water!"

"This..." Consort Feng felt dizzy and started coughing violently.

Song's mother quickly patted her back and poured her water.

She kept saying, "It's broad daylight! How dare he pester his man to do this! It's only because he doesn't have a mother-in-law at home, otherwise he would be punished to death!" That's right, her husband had also pestered her like this when they first got married.

As a result, she was almost verbally abused to death by her mother-in-law, who even slapped her several times. The new bride was beaten by her mother-in-law…

Thinking of this, she cursed indignantly and viciously, "How shameless! She looks like a young girl, but I never expected her to be such a slut!"

She had an extremely unhappy marriage, so she couldn't stand seeing anyone do well. There wasn't a single person in the household that she wouldn't scold.

Because her behavior suited Consort Feng's tastes, and she sometimes used her to demonstrate her gentleness and tolerance, Consort Feng generally ignored her. If she really couldn't stand it, she would only scold her a couple of times.

At this moment, she listened to Song's mother's vicious words with her eyes closed, her heart filled with boundless hatred.

Those two people just visited their sick relative; how could they possibly have the interest to do this when they get back?
That little bitch deserves to be cursed.

“It seems…” she interrupted Song Mama, panting, “My intuition was right. The Prince treats her differently from others.”

"But why is this happening? Your Highness, we can't just let this go on like this, can we? We have to think of something." Originally, Mama Song was advising Consort Feng to be patient, but today, she also felt that the princess was living too comfortably.

If things continue like this, what will happen if the legitimate son is born and wants the right to manage the household?
In just the past two years, while serving Consort Feng, she has reaped many benefits. Her daughter's dowry was exceptionally generous, and it still subsidizes her now. If she lost control of the household, she would lose all of that!
"We need to think of a solution... Is the medicine being prepared?" Consort Feng asked, knowing that she couldn't afford to lose control of the household affairs.

Sure enough, Consort Feng recovered the next morning.

The prince got up early to practice his martial arts, then came back to wash up and went straight to the front without even having breakfast. It seems the New Year is over.

Mo Yi also settled down and decided to tidy up the things in the study today.

After breakfast, Mo Yuan pulled Zhou Jiu along, and Zhou Jiu brought Li Xiangling with him.

Consort Tian's side is probably being watched too. Not long after Mo Yuan and the others came in, she also came over with Qianqian. "I just went to see Sister Feng. She's much better."

Mo Yi had sent someone to ask early in the morning, and upon hearing this, she nodded, "They said that after taking the medicine and sweating, the person felt much better."

"Is Your Highness getting ready to pack and get to work?"

"Yes, we'll have a shelf built on this empty wall in a few days. We can hang things up there and see everything at a glance."

"That won't be until after the fifteenth, the craftsmen haven't started work yet..." Consort Tian was quite proper; she wouldn't touch anything unless Mo Yi showed it to her. She simply sat and drank tea, talking.

Mo Yi was willing to discuss the matter of opening a shop with her. Consort Tian was also open with her knowledge, saying whatever she knew.

Moreover, she loves jewelry, is willing to spend money, and her family has extensive business connections, so they always have some novelties from elsewhere. Once the two of them start talking, they can go on and on.

Zhou Jiu listened to Xiang Xiang's conversation while taking out paper and pen to draw.

Mo Yuan didn't care about privacy at all. She leisurely rummaged through the things in her bag and looked at them: She really liked everything. Oh, this one is good. Which dress can it go with?

Her mind raced. With strangers around, she couldn't bring herself to ask for it, no matter how much she liked it. Now, she dared not take it so easily. This reminded her of how she used to tease Mo Yi, watching Mo Yi smirk… Sigh, Mo Yi is so forgiving, she doesn't hold it against her… If she were in Mo Yi's shoes, she might not be able to do the same!

At noon, the prince sent someone to tell him that he was having lunch with his staff at the front and wouldn't be coming in.

Mo Yi then had everyone's food brought to her place so they could eat together.

Consort Tian and Qianqian were the happiest, as the mother and daughter loved lively gatherings.

Li Xiangling and Mo Yi remained the same, not too close, but neither quarreling.

……

In the afternoon, Song Jiafu and Song Jiaxing arrived. When Xiangye greeted them, they were both completely bewildered. Their mouths were agape; they never imagined their daughter would become the mistress of this house!

People say, "Even a seventh-rank official can only stand at the prime minister's gate." The two brothers exchanged a glance. "Our status has risen with the tide," they thought, "and we can both imagine how wonderful our future will be." Overwhelmed with pride, they felt a surge of pride.

Moe met them in the living room.

The two silly boys immediately kowtowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty! We kowtow to Your Majesty!"

Mo Yi found it amusing. "Get up and talk."

Song Jiafu's dimples deepened with joy, but he forced himself to suppress his professional instincts and refrain from showering the Empress with endless praise...

Mo Ruhai has already returned the indentures of the Song family. With Mo Yi around, they can be kept in check even without the indentures. Releasing them will allow them to marry and work with dignity. It will also benefit their children.

But the elderly couple from the Song family only wanted the indentures of their children and grandchildren, and they stubbornly followed Mo Ruhai.

"Your Majesty, Jiafu and my brother went to the South City today. The Ji sisters started working on the third day of the Lunar New Year."

"Oh? You must have had a happy New Year."

“Of course! Everyone is wearing new clothes, and they say they have chicken, duck, fish, and meat at home for the New Year. Your Majesty, please look… these are the statistics.” Song Jiafu handed over a piece of paper.

"These past two days, my brother and I have moved the goods to Qizhenlou. We'll let Aunt Yun inspect them when it's convenient for her."

Mo Yi looked at the record and said, "Yes, when hauling goods, we need to check the quantity carefully."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, everything is done according to the rules. The Ji family, the South Courtyard, and we all have a copy of the list."

"What are these?" Mo Yi asked, looking at the contents of Song Jiafu's leather bag.

"These were made by Aunt Yun. She said that since Your Majesty has made so many things, she followed her inspiration and made a few for Your Majesty to take a look at. If they are acceptable, then the Ji family can start making them."

Mo Yi took it and carefully flipped through it. "You know what, it's actually quite interesting. But these two could be revised a bit more..." She picked up a pen, wrote down her ideas for revision, and put them in her bag. She then handed them to Song Jiafu. "Give these to the Ji sisters and have them revise them according to these."

"No progress on finding a helper over the New Year, right?"

"I saw a few before the New Year, and the master chose a boy and a girl, both only twelve years old. They were good-looking with bright eyes. After asking them, the master said he felt they were quite good, so he kept them. The master said that we are busy with many things now and can't be shop assistants to sell goods, but as long as they are clever and hardworking, they will always be useful."

"Hmm. Is your yard habitable?"

"I'm okay now, but I'll get nervous again if I do it again," Song Jiafu said cautiously.

He and his brother now each have their own room, and they're living quite comfortably. They certainly don't want to go back to the days when they had to share a bed.

Suddenly, Mo Yi remembered something, "Have you heard anything from your older brother?"

Song Jiafu was a little worried. "A letter came before the New Year, saying that our family is doing a little better because of your name. But that situation is still continuing. My brother is worried that even if no one forces our family to sell land, if other people's land surrounds our family, we may be ruined."

The old man's idea was to just hold on for now. The family's situation was much better, and they could basically manage. As for the other side, they'd deal with it once they figured things out; they wouldn't part with the ancestral property unless absolutely necessary.

Mo Yi nodded. She would discuss this with the Prince when it was convenient…

Thank you everyone for all the votes.

One-sixth of the year is almost over!